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Technical Problems

Diagnose and resolve technical issues efficiently to maintain project momentum and quality.

Overview​

This guide provides systematic approaches to identifying and resolving technical problems across web development, hosting, and deployment.

Website Issues​

Site Completely Down​

Diagnosis:

  1. Check if server is responding
  2. Verify DNS settings
  3. Check hosting account status
  4. Review error logs
  5. Test from different locations

Solutions:

  1. Server down - Contact hosting provider
  2. DNS issues - Verify nameservers
  3. Account suspended - Check billing
  4. Code error - Review recent changes
  5. DDoS attack - Enable protection

White Screen of Death​

Diagnosis:

  • Check error logs
  • Enable debug mode
  • Review recent changes
  • Check PHP memory limit

Solutions:

  1. Increase PHP memory limit
  2. Disable recently added plugins
  3. Restore from backup
  4. Check file permissions
  5. Review error logs for specifics

404 Errors​

Diagnosis:

  • Check .htaccess file
  • Verify permalink settings
  • Review server configuration
  • Check file paths

Solutions:

  1. Regenerate permalinks
  2. Fix .htaccess file
  3. Verify file locations
  4. Check case sensitivity
  5. Update internal links

Performance Issues​

Slow Page Load​

Diagnosis:

  • Run PageSpeed Insights
  • Check server response time
  • Analyze waterfall chart
  • Review database queries

Solutions:

  1. Optimize images - Compress, WebP format
  2. Enable caching - Browser and server-side
  3. Minify code - CSS, JS, HTML
  4. Use CDN - Distribute static assets
  5. Optimize database - Clean and index
  6. Lazy load - Images and videos

High Server Load​

Diagnosis:

  • Check CPU/memory usage
  • Review traffic patterns
  • Identify resource-heavy processes
  • Check for attacks

Solutions:

  1. Optimize code efficiency
  2. Implement caching
  3. Upgrade hosting plan
  4. Use CDN
  5. Block malicious traffic
  6. Optimize database queries

Database Issues​

Database Connection Error​

Diagnosis:

  • Verify credentials
  • Check database server status
  • Review connection limits
  • Check firewall rules

Solutions:

  1. Verify database credentials
  2. Restart database server
  3. Increase connection limit
  4. Check user permissions
  5. Repair database tables

Slow Queries​

Diagnosis:

  • Enable slow query log
  • Analyze query execution plans
  • Check table indexes
  • Review table sizes

Solutions:

  1. Add appropriate indexes
  2. Optimize query structure
  3. Limit result sets
  4. Use query caching
  5. Archive old data
  6. Consider database sharding

Email Issues​

Emails Not Sending​

Diagnosis:

  • Check SMTP settings
  • Verify email credentials
  • Review spam filters
  • Check server logs

Solutions:

  1. Configure SMTP correctly
  2. Use authenticated SMTP
  3. Check SPF/DKIM records
  4. Verify sender domain
  5. Use email service (SendGrid, etc.)
  6. Check spam folder

Emails Going to Spam​

Diagnosis:

  • Check sender reputation
  • Review email content
  • Verify DNS records
  • Test spam score

Solutions:

  1. Set up SPF record
  2. Configure DKIM
  3. Add DMARC policy
  4. Improve email content
  5. Use reputable SMTP service
  6. Warm up IP address

Security Issues​

Site Hacked​

Immediate Actions:

  1. Take site offline
  2. Change all passwords
  3. Scan for malware
  4. Review access logs
  5. Identify entry point

Recovery:

  1. Clean infected files
  2. Update all software
  3. Restore from clean backup
  4. Implement security measures
  5. Monitor closely
  6. Notify affected users

SSL Certificate Issues​

Diagnosis:

  • Check certificate expiry
  • Verify installation
  • Test SSL configuration
  • Check mixed content

Solutions:

  1. Renew expired certificate
  2. Install certificate correctly
  3. Fix mixed content warnings
  4. Update to TLS 1.2+
  5. Configure redirects (HTTP to HTTPS)

Deployment Issues​

Deployment Failed​

Diagnosis:

  • Check deployment logs
  • Verify file permissions
  • Review server requirements
  • Check disk space

Solutions:

  1. Fix file permissions (755/644)
  2. Ensure sufficient disk space
  3. Verify PHP version compatibility
  4. Check database migrations
  5. Review environment variables
  6. Test locally first

Version Control Conflicts​

Diagnosis:

  • Identify conflicting files
  • Review recent changes
  • Check branch history

Solutions:

  1. Pull latest changes
  2. Resolve conflicts manually
  3. Test thoroughly
  4. Commit resolved version
  5. Push to repository

API Integration Issues​

API Not Responding​

Diagnosis:

  • Check API status
  • Verify credentials
  • Review rate limits
  • Check request format

Solutions:

  1. Verify API key/credentials
  2. Check rate limit status
  3. Review request parameters
  4. Implement retry logic
  5. Contact API provider
  6. Use fallback solution

CORS Errors​

Diagnosis:

  • Check browser console
  • Review server headers
  • Verify domain whitelist

Solutions:

  1. Configure CORS headers
  2. Whitelist domains
  3. Use proxy if needed
  4. Check request method
  5. Verify credentials handling

Browser Compatibility Issues​

Works in Chrome, Not Safari​

Diagnosis:

  • Check browser console
  • Review CSS/JS features
  • Test vendor prefixes

Solutions:

  1. Add vendor prefixes
  2. Use polyfills
  3. Feature detection
  4. Graceful degradation
  5. Test on actual devices

Prevention Strategies​

Best Practices​

Development:

  • ✅ Use version control
  • ✅ Test thoroughly
  • ✅ Code reviews
  • ✅ Follow standards
  • ✅ Document code

Deployment:

  • ✅ Staging environment
  • ✅ Automated testing
  • ✅ Rollback plan
  • ✅ Monitor after deploy
  • ✅ Gradual rollout

Maintenance:

  • ✅ Regular updates
  • ✅ Security patches
  • ✅ Performance monitoring
  • ✅ Regular backups
  • ✅ Disaster recovery plan

Last Updated: January 2026
Version: 2.0

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